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Mascot for England

10 October 2017

Thursday 5 October not only saw the England football team qualify for the World Cup finals in Russia 2018 but also for one lucky Caldicott boy to head out onto the pitch at Wembley, next to Harry Kane, as a player escort.

After winning a competition, Charlie H (4th Form), was selected to head to the stadium and walk out onto the pitch with the team in front of a roaring crowd for an important match. He had an incredible time being in the tunnel and meeting the players. An experience we are sure he will never forget.

Below is Charlie's account of the evening.

My experience as an England Mascot

Last Thursday I was lucky enough to be invited to be one of the England mascots (to walk out with a player). The match was England vs Slovenia and it would determine who qualified for the World Cup 2018 in Russia.

When I arrived, I expected it to be really busy but I was wrong - there were only a couple of fans.

There was a crowd of people gathered around a sign which read “Player Escorts”. I was so happy that we had made it!

I realised that Daddy would have to wait for two and a half hours until my friend and his father would get here but I suppose there were a couple of fan zones here and there so I thought that he would be fine.

They signed us in and Daddy had to leave me, but I didn’t care because I was about to have the most fun in my life.

We were taken up some steps and round a couple of corners where we found ourselves in something that looked like a futuristic changing room. They told us to line up in height order - I was obviously the smallest. We did a couple of practices and had a packed lunch. By now, I felt a bit nervous because frankly, it was half an hour until kick off.

We got changed into our new England kit and we were only 15 minutes away from kick off.

They told us to calm down and breathe…

We were now all waiting in the tunnel for the “meep meep” noise they told us would come. This noise meant that the players would be coming out of the changing rooms.

It felt like an hour but they finally came. If I was wearing a Fitbit I don’t think it would be reading my bpm!

I felt so nervous when Harry Kane came out, I swear you could hear my heart thumping and then he ruffled my hair and stopped next to me! I couldn’t believe my luck - I was going be the Captain’s mascot!

Right now I was thinking about what Daddy would be doing, but I plucked up the courage to speak to him – “Are you nervous?” I asked. “Yes”, he replied.

As we walked out onto the pitch, my heart was racing - it was the best feeling in world…

It looks like I was Harry Kane’s lucky mascot as he scored the winning goal in the 94th minute.